I like to think that California is to the United States what the United States thinks it is for the rest of the world : a beacon of freedom. Not just from dictators, tyrants and other bad actors but from an older way of life. In the interest of full disclosure it must also be said that California has the largest number of automobiles, the most miles of freeway, the worst air quality and the biggest budget deficits. But no matter what everyone else says about California, immigration is the sincerest form of flattery.
The AAA map says 'California is a state of mind'. From shining seas to towering redwoods to massive rocks to bustling metropolises to vast deserts, California alone has the natural beauty of several other states combined. If one had a dollar for every little black dot on AAA's California maps, one could be rich indeed.